Preparation and applications of electrically conductive wood layered composites

This paper presents simple, inexpensive and industrially-viable methods of creating electronically-active carbon nanotube and graphene-based coatings for wood, capable of bringing a wide range of new functionalities to traditionally passive wood-based construction elements, including furniture and flooring. The coating methods are tested against the surface properties of wood/wood-based materials and specific application requirements. Furthermore, a set of examples of wood-based electronic applications potentially useful in a wood industry context is demonstrated/tested. These include liquid, pressure and temperature sensors for such applications as flood, occupancy or fire detection, as well as nano/microthin heaters for residential heating or drying of moist construction wood.